Automatic annunciator-restorer.



PATENTED APR. 18, 1905x J. I. GBMMILL. AUTOMATIC ANNUNGIATOR RESTORER.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 22, 1902.

Flg l.

f. mm

No. .787,50 r.

UNITED STATES Patented April 18, 1905.

PATENT OEEIcE.

JAMES I. GEMMILL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GEMMILL TELEPHONEAND MANUFACTURING CO., OF ORRVILLE, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC ANNUNClATOR-RESTORER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,507, dated April18, 1905.

Application filed December 22, 1902. Serial No. 136,279.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES IRWIN GEMMILL, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented certain Improvements in AutomaticAnnunciator-Restorers; and lI do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of my` invention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, 'and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecication.

The object of my invention is to obtain a mechanical movement, actuatedby the wellknown switchboard-plug, to restore the dropshutter ontelephone-switchboards automatically and to reduce the wear and frictionin the device to a minimum. To this end I have invented a toggle systemof balls or rollers, so placed that friction is overcome by the roundedsurfaces rolling over each other instead of rubbing-surfaces, which areused in the devices at present known.

Reference being had to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a well-knownform of switchboard-drop, partially in section and partially inelevation, equipped with my new device. Figs. 2 and 3 are two views ofmy device shown in connection with a switchboard-plug, being` partiallyin section and partially in elevation. Figs. 4 and are diagrammaticviews of the device, showing how it is possible to actuate the shutterby contact with one of the rolling members, omitting the link or bolt.Fig. 6 is a view of the sleeve of the jack 5, with the bolts 14 14 shownin section through line N S, Fig. 3.

Referring to the reference characters in the drawings in a moreparticular description of the device, it will be noticed that Fig. 1represents a common and well-known form of an armoredelectromagnet-coil, with the armature 2, adapted to be influenced by thesaid coil and actuate the detent 3 to unhook the shutter 4 and allow itto fall When the electromagnet has been energized by a suitable currentfrom the line.

5 5 designate a well-known form of springjack, with contacts and springconnections suitably arranged to meet the requirements of the system towinch same may be attached.

As the details of the electromagnetic mechanism and functions of thesame, together with the spring-jack, are well understood by thoselskilled in telephony, it is not necessaryto describe same any more thanto show their connection with my restoring device.

In the restoring device I employ three balls or rollers 6, 7, and 8,Fig. 1. The ball or rolling member 6 is used as the fixed or stationarymember or point in the toggle system. The rolling member 7 is adapted toproject partially through the containing-receptacle 10 in the pathprovided for the plug in the jack 5. A third ball, 8, completes thesystem of rolling members. A bolt or pin 9 serves to transfer the motionimparted to the ball 8 to the lower edge or extension ofl the shutter 4.Said shutter4 turns freely on the pivot 11 upon being released by thedetent 3. It then assumes a horizontal position, (shown at 4'.) The plug12 is then inserted into the jack to answer the call. rI`he plug 12,traveling in the jack, meets the member 7, which is resting on the pins14, and forces the said member 7 upward between the stationary member 6and the moving member 8, which by reason of the resistance of the wallsof the chamber 10 causes the member 8 to 'travel in a direction oppositethat of the actuating-plug 12. The member 8 through the agency of thepin 9 imparts motion to the shutter 4. The shutter consequently turnsupward on the pivot 11, and the upper edge engages with the detent 3,staying in this position after the plug is removed, the shutterremaining in this position until thrown down by a call. It is obviousthat the member 8 may be made to act directly upon the shutter 4, asshown in Figs. 4 and 5. Points a' w are shown to indicateresistance-points for the toggle system in lieu of the walls of thereceptacle 10, which is not shown in these iigures. In Figs. 1, Q, and 3the pin 13 serves to retain the member 6 in its respective position inthe chamber. In Fig. 2 the pin 14 apparently would interfere with theplug passing through the jack; but that is obviated, as shown Vin Fig.6, which discloses the pins 14 14, one on each side of the sleeve of thejack. The said pins are fitted into and adapted to slide in receptacles14 14. Spiral springs serve to project the said pins into the said jackfar enough to support the member 7 when the plug is absent, and soprevent the member 7 from falling into the sleeve oi' the jack. The plugafter engaging the member 7 proceeds, and in so doing slides the pins inout of the way, leaving a free -passage for the plug. It is obvious thatwere a sphere used as member 7 ot' this combination, retaining theadjustment of the pins 14 14, as shown in Fig. 6 of the disclosure, thewhole mechanism would become inoperative through the sphere 7 becomingwedged between the said pins 14 14. The pins, as shown, are arranged tosupport the member 7 as a disk, and in the substitution oi' a spheretherefor the pins 14 14 should be set out in the jack 5 in a manner aswould result by an elongation oi' the spiral springs, and thereby bringthe adjacent ends of the pins within the jack more closely together, andthereby make it impossible for the member 7 as asphere to enter betweenthe said pins by reason of its weight and rounded sides and thereinbecoming wedged, and so become inoperative. As it is possible to omitthe bolt 9 from this restoring device, I therefore do not limit myselilin my claims to the construction including the bolt, as

\ shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The three rolling members of my system may be either balls, rollers, orsuitable disks. I can therefore use any one oi' the above forms ofrolling members and still retain the elementary principle of mydevice-namely, the use of rolling or rounded surfaces to diminishfriction and wear.

Now, having thus fully described my device, what I claim as new, andwish to secu re by Letters Patent, is*

1. In an indicator device, the combination of a pivoted shutter adaptedto fall to a horizontal position to display a signal; an eXtension onsaid shutter and an intermediate pin adapted to engage said extension; atrain oi' three balls, one of said balls adapted to operate said pin;one adapted to engage the rear walls of the ball-containing chamber; thethird ball being placed between the aforementioned two balls and adaptedto lie partially in the path of a restoring-plug to be operated by saidplugand to cooperate with the aforementioned two balls causing one ofthe said balls to engage the pin and actuate it so that the said pinwill engage the said shutter by means of the extension thereon andthereby restore said shutter to its normal position all as shown anddescribed.

2. In a switchboard, the combination with a jack and a drop, of aplurality of circular bodies, one of said bodies being stationary, asecond being operatively related to the drop, and a third adapted to beforced between the other two bodies by the insertion of the operatorsplug into the jack, thereby restoring the drop substantially asdescribed.

3. In a signal-restoring device for switchboards; a toggle system ofthree rolling bodies together with a bolt and a drop-shutter; one ot'the rolling bodies adapted to act against the rear walls of thecontaining-chamber as a fixed or stationary member of the said togglesystem; one body as a traveling member adapted to engage and actuate thebolt and the third body adapted to be forced between the other t'wobodies thereby imparting motion to the traveling member and the boltcausing said bolt to engage said shutter and restore it to its normalposition.

4. In a switchboard-drop; the combination of a drop-shutter with anextension thereon and a bolt adapted to engage with said extension; aball adapted to act against said bolt; a second ball adapted to actagainst fixed points or surfaces and a third ball adapted to be placedpartially in the path of an operators plug, in a jack, suitably placed;said plug to engage said ball in the jack and force it between the saidtwo balls, thereby elongating the toggle system and imparting motion tothe bolt; said bolt engaging said extension on the shutter IOO andthereby restoring said shutter to its normal position, all as shown anddescribed.

5. In switchboard-annunciators, in combibination with a jack, aconnecting-plug, a pivoted signal-drop, and an independent, rolling,drop-moving member, and means whereby said member may be actuated bysaid plug.

6. In switchboard-annunciators, in combination with a jack, a pivotedsignal-drop, a connecting-plug, and an independent antifriction drop-moving member bodily movable from point to point and means whereby saidplug may be pressed against said member and the drop actuated.

' 7. In a switchboard-annunciator, in combination with a jack, a drop, aconnecting-plug, a rolling, drop-restoring member between said plug anddrop and means whereby the said member moves back by its own weight toposition to permit the drop to be released.

8. In a switchboard-annunciator in combination with a pivotedsignal-drop, and plug, a drop-restoring device consisting of a balloperative between said drop and plug.

9. In a sWitchboard-annunciator in eombi- In Witness whereof I have,"this 27 th day of nation with a jack, a drop, and a plug, said March,A. D. 1902, affixed my signature in jack having a slot and a loose,drop-restorthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ing ball supported by said jack in said slot JAMES I. GEMMILL. 5 andadapted to project therethrough partiallyl Witnesses:

into the jack and having a limited to-and-fro JAMES R. GEMMILL, Sr.,

movement between the jack and said drop. LEoTA M. GEMMILL.

